05-22-2012, 08:27 PM
05-22-2012, 09:10 PM
Don't do it! Beginners luck will let you catch exactly ONE and then you'll be so addicted you'll accept skunked trip after skunked trip in the pursuit of the willard wiper!
Haven't made it up there this year yet but from watching the reports the fishing is still waiting for warmer water to get good and with this cold front coming through it should slow things down even further.
If you do go, I'd suggest trolling bottom bouncers nice and slow, walleye fishermen seem to catch more wipers than wiper fisherman when conditions are like this.
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Haven't made it up there this year yet but from watching the reports the fishing is still waiting for warmer water to get good and with this cold front coming through it should slow things down even further.
If you do go, I'd suggest trolling bottom bouncers nice and slow, walleye fishermen seem to catch more wipers than wiper fisherman when conditions are like this.
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05-22-2012, 09:13 PM
Wiper action is very slow this year. Several possible reasons like low numbers of Wiper and high numbers of Shad.
I wouldn't plan a trip for Wiper unless you go as suggested and try bottom bouncers and try for Walleye, Cats and Wiper.
Keep watching for reports if and when the action picks up.
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I wouldn't plan a trip for Wiper unless you go as suggested and try bottom bouncers and try for Walleye, Cats and Wiper.
Keep watching for reports if and when the action picks up.
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05-22-2012, 10:31 PM
[font "Calibri"]Picked these little guys up this weekend, all on bottom bouncers. Set out for some late night walleye and all we caught was wipers and a bunch of smallies. But I’ll take it, after all, I am the WiperMac…[
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05-23-2012, 04:10 AM
Sounds like it's slow there right now, and I haven't been there yet this year, but I caught my first wiper at Willard bottom bouncing a pink and grey minnow tube body on a black jig head. From shore. []
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05-23-2012, 04:47 AM
[quote SLCFISHIN]Going to willard this weeknd any tips on baits or lures would be great.. Thank u![/quote]
I've done really well in the past with lipless crankbaits. You should google for one of Tubedude's write ups. Not only will it give you a ton of information on wipers, but it will pertain to Willard too.
One secret I'm willing to give: The new clacking series from Rapala really seems to call them in.
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I've done really well in the past with lipless crankbaits. You should google for one of Tubedude's write ups. Not only will it give you a ton of information on wipers, but it will pertain to Willard too.
One secret I'm willing to give: The new clacking series from Rapala really seems to call them in.
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05-23-2012, 12:25 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Sending you a PM with a copy of a writeup that should give you some good basic info.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are far fewer wipers in Willard than in the glory days of past years. DWR is still struggling to develop an instate wiper production process after buying sac fry from other states in the past. Numbers are down due to lower numbers being planted.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are still a lot of fish in the lake, but they are harder to find and catch. They should be doing their spawn routine...even though they only produce sterile eggs. That will bring them inshore along the rocks, where a lot of anglers catch them on jigs under bobbers. They also hit various spinners, jigs and crankbaits.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]This time of year the wipers are not feeding on shad. They subsist on crawdads and other invertebrates until after the shad spawn and the young are big enough to eat. Shad will spawn soon and wipers will start munching them about July. By August they usually start "boiling" on schools of young shad. But when there are a lot of shad and not as many wipers the boils do not develop as much. That action was way off last year. Some boils but not nearly what we experienced a couple of years previously.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Most of the wipers caught so far this year have been caught on or near the bottom...on baits and lures being fished for walleyes or catfish. They also hit small crappie jigs under bobbers either off the north dike or inside the north marina. The water temps are warming into the range the fish get more active but they do not really "turn on" until it gets about 70 degrees. The constant weather changes and fronts moving through does not help. Not really much encouragement for this weekend.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are far fewer wipers in Willard than in the glory days of past years. DWR is still struggling to develop an instate wiper production process after buying sac fry from other states in the past. Numbers are down due to lower numbers being planted.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are still a lot of fish in the lake, but they are harder to find and catch. They should be doing their spawn routine...even though they only produce sterile eggs. That will bring them inshore along the rocks, where a lot of anglers catch them on jigs under bobbers. They also hit various spinners, jigs and crankbaits.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]This time of year the wipers are not feeding on shad. They subsist on crawdads and other invertebrates until after the shad spawn and the young are big enough to eat. Shad will spawn soon and wipers will start munching them about July. By August they usually start "boiling" on schools of young shad. But when there are a lot of shad and not as many wipers the boils do not develop as much. That action was way off last year. Some boils but not nearly what we experienced a couple of years previously.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Most of the wipers caught so far this year have been caught on or near the bottom...on baits and lures being fished for walleyes or catfish. They also hit small crappie jigs under bobbers either off the north dike or inside the north marina. The water temps are warming into the range the fish get more active but they do not really "turn on" until it gets about 70 degrees. The constant weather changes and fronts moving through does not help. Not really much encouragement for this weekend.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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05-23-2012, 01:04 PM
TubeDude is spot on. These fronts are a killer and the fishing is very inconsistant. I have only caught 2 worth talking about but saw one caught this past weekend in the south marina. I taped it and it was 22 1/4". He caught is on a jig under a bobber. If you just want to catch fish and are not worried about the size the south marina is pretty good. A friend and I were out there Friday evening and were casting 1/8oz jig (no bobber) and bring it back rather quick. In just about an hour we caught 40 wiper. By NO means were they big, actually they were 7" or less. Still fun. Of course we put everything back in hopes that they will be bruts in 2-3 years. Since there is such an issue with the Wipers I don't care to keep them. The smaller Wiper seem to be very active but the larger ones are not going to put in much effort so you will have to be very slow. From what I have heard from some of the Walleye guys trolling in the 0.8 to 0.9 mph range has been best. My personal opinion of Willard is nothing is ever the same and don't be affraid to try differnt stuff. Good luck.
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